"This is the last resort, there's no way out of this one. Our people will have to move as the tides have reached our homes and villages," Tong told Fiji One television.

The tropical nation is now on average just two meters above sea level.

In a video appeal a few years ago, the government said the country's fresh water supply is becoming salty and unsustainable as seawalls are breached by the Pacific Ocean.

The government will have to work out a migration plan, as President Tong is keen on the concept of "migration with dignity" and has initiated programs to equip citizens with education and work qualifications that are attractive to the outside world.